SHAWNEE – After attaining their first win a week ago, the Oklahoma Baptist Bison will venture to Henderson State University on Oct. 5 for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field.
The Bison Sports Network's Todd Miller and Scott Wanish will be on site for the call of the game, with pregame coverage starting at 12:30 at KGFF.com.
OBU and Henderson State have had several close games in its eight-game D2 history, most notably during the 2021 season when the Reddies kicked a last-second field goal to win 36-34. That result has helped HSU hold an 8-0 series advantage.
Here are notes on the Bison as we head into week five action.
Valiant Defensive Effort
Last Saturday's game with East Central brought one of the best defensive performances in OBU history. Not only did the Bison come up with interceptions by
Brayden Johnson and
Jylun Spence, but they also held the Tigers to 10 points and only 27 rushing yards. Since the program started Division II play in 2015, that's the fourth-fewest rush yards allowed to an opponent in a single game. The previous best was last season when OBU held Northwestern Oklahoma State to 17 yards. In the 2015 campaign, the Bison also held NWOSU to 10 yards, the fewest rush yards allowed.
Another Defensive Point
The collective effort on defense against ECU had some other solid numbers. In addition to the rush yards allowed and interceptions, there were other great plays made.
Brandon Spencer II notched two pass break-ups while
Tainique Taylor and
Triston De La Rosa added PBUs. Plus, four different defenders recorded QB hurries:
KJ Price Jr.,
Austin Vincent,
Thomas Gort III and
Bryce Starlin.
Speaking of Johnson
Six-foot-four junior linebacker
Brayden Johnson had one of his best games in a Bison uniform last week. He had nine tackles, a career-best 4.0 tackles-for-loss and an interception, his first. That pick, which came in the fourth quarter with OBU nursing a 13-10 lead, was a crucial moment and played a large part in the Bison win over East Central. This season, the Ringling, Okla., native ranks seventh in the GAC with 36 tackles and his 5.0 TFLs are slotted 10th in the league.
Throw It Up
There's only one Great American Conference receiver with four touchdown catches this fall:
Charles Whitebear. An imposing wideout, standing 6-foot-4, the Haslet, Texas native hauled in two more touchdown catches against East Central last week. A true redzone threat, three of Whitebear's four scoring grabs have come within 10 yards. He had a 10-yard touchdown during week one's game at Arkansas Tech. And then last Saturday, Whitebear hauled in six- and three-yard scoring grabs against the Tigers.
All Hail Maxwell
Sophomore
Patrick Maxwell was named GAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 30, his first career honor. The Georgetown, Texas native was awfully good in punting and field-goal situations last week against ECU. He punted six times for 248 yards, a 41.3-yard average, and pinned two inside the 20-yard line. One of Maxwell's kicks went for a career-long 54 yards. In that department, Maxwell ranks tied for fourth in the GAC with five punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
As for field goals, he made two, a 33-yarder and a career-long 43-yarder. By converting a pair, Maxwell moved one off the GAC lead with five made field goals this fall.
Last Time vs. HSU
A 17-point first-half deficit proved too much for OBU as they fell 27-14 against the No. 24 Reddies of Henderson State on Sept. 30, 2023 inside Crain Family Stadium. HSU held the Bison to 119 yards of offense in the first half while the opposition racked up 210 yards, including 125 yards on the ground. The Reddies led 24-7 at the halftime intermission.
Aidan Thompson threw for 137 yards with one touchdown while
EJ Moore carried nine times for 41 yards, a 4.6-yard average.
Michael Marshall hauled in a team-high seven passes for 95 yards while
Charles Whitebear caught two touchdowns. Defensively,
Scooter Baker had 10 tackles, tying for the game-high lead.
A Familiar Face
The Bison defense will see the same Henderson State signal-caller on Saturday that it has faced the previous two seasons. Andrew Edwards, a 6-foot-3 redshirt junior from Bentonville, Ark., is back again for the Reddies. He currently leads the GAC averaging 215.8 passing yards per game with an efficiency rating of 133.6. Edwards has five touchdown passes but also five interceptions through four games. In the two previous matchups against OBU, Edwards has averaged 238 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Defending The Reddies
There are three skill-position players for Henderson State worth keeping an eye on: running back Jeremiah Davis and receivers Timieone Jackson and Jalen Abraham. For HSU's rushing attack, Davis is fifth in the league with 298 yards and a 74.5 per-game average. He also has five rushing touchdowns. As for the two receivers, Jackson's 23 catches are a conference-best while Abraham's 16.0 yards-per-catch is a top-15 GAC total.
Playing in Arkadelphia
There have been three previous games between Oklahoma Baptist and Henderson State in Arkadelphia: Nov. 5, 2022; Oct. 6, 2018; and Oct. 29, 2016. What's transpired has been all Reddies as they have averaged 58 points per game including scoring 67 during the 2016 contest at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.
